Mother’s day is just around the corner, and sure enough the rivers here in Utah are swarming with caddis. One great thing about caddis is their awesome abundance from now until late fall. Over the course of a year they make up a large portion of a trout’s diet. Caddis are very active bugs that can be identified by the splashy aggressive rise of a trout. A caddis hatch is one of my favorite times to throw a dry fly because of the aggressive nature exhibited by trout at this time. These little critters are not easy meals for trout, and after a few escape early on in the hatch it seems that the trout turn up their energy level and really get going after them. Not many casual sips during a caddis hatch!

The tan foam and ginger hackle combination is my go to color variation. It has fished very well for me to both match the hatch, and as a searching pattern in the summer months.

The chartreuse foam body caddis is a great attractor or “searching pattern”. The profile of this fly with a little added color can also fish well during a hatch if the fish are not too highly pressured.

One great thing about caddis is their awesome abundance from now (late spring) until late fall. The foam body caddis is hands down my favorite caddis dry fly, followed closely by the classic Elk Hair Caddis. Give this pattern a shot in a variety of colors, and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.